The Barcelona Provincial Council and the Coordinator of Social Housing Foundations of Catalonia (Cohabitac) signed an agreement on 8 May 2026 to increase the supply of affordable housing in municipalities across the province.
The four-year agreement, which can be extended, commits both parties to organise activities for knowledge transfer and experience exchange in affordable housing. They will also share specialised information, promote specific training, and establish communication channels to share relevant details.
This collaboration complements existing agreements the Provincial Council holds with other organisations representing private and cooperative social housing developers and managers.
The Urban Planning, Housing, and Urban Regeneration deputy, Gemma Badia, and Cohabitac president, Carme Trilla, formalised the signing. This new partnership adds to current collaborations with private developers (APCE) and cooperative developers (HABICOOP), completing the Provincial Council's framework with various agents working to create social housing.
Cohabitac's Role in Local Government Support
Cohabitac has helped develop the 'Promovem' resource, offered by the Provincial Council's Housing, Urban Planning, and Activities Services Management. Specifically, Cohabitac supports local governments during the new construction and major renovation phases for providing affordable housing. This includes protected, social, price-limited, or below-market-price homes. The organisation also assists with the management of these housing types.
Cohabitac represents 17 foundations involved in promoting, renovating, and purchasing housing. Currently, these foundations manage over 5,000 social homes in Catalonia. They have also initiated 1,650 homes using Next Generation funds and acquired 1,700 properties for social rental.
On the day of the signing, Cohabitac participated in a housing conference organised by the Federation of Municipalities of Catalonia (FMC). The mayors of two Barcelona province municipalities, David Bote of Mataró (who is also FMC president) and Xavier Fonollosa of Martorell (president of the FMC's Territory and Urban Regeneration Area), also attended.
Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals
The agreement between the Barcelona Provincial Council and Cohabitac aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) number 10, "Reduced Inequalities", and number 11, "Sustainable Cities and Communities". The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the 17 SDGs on 25 September 2015, as part of the global agenda for 2030. The Barcelona Provincial Council is committed to meeting these goals and bases its support for local governments in the province on these SDGs.
